حلمتI dreamed أنكthat you قدalready أصبحتhad become معتزلاa recluse
حلمت أنك قد أصبحت معتزلا
مثليlike me ولكنand yet بحقin truth كعبKa'b أحبارAhbar (the learned)
مثلي ولكن بحق كعب أحبار
I dreamed that you had become a recluse,
I dreamt you had become a recluse
Like me, yet truly a Ka'b al-Ahbar.
Like me, but in truth the chief of monks
هناhere تحدثspeak عنabout دينfaith عناكبناour spiders
هنا تحدث عن دين عناكبنا
كماjust as يحدثspeaks عنهof it الجدولthe brook الجاريflowing
كما يحدث عنه الجدول الجاري
Here, speak of our spiders' faith,
As a flowing stream speaks of it
As the flowing brook speaks of it,
And the bird sings and listens
ومارحand frolicking الطيرbirds غريداsinging sweetly ومستمعاand listening
ومارح الطير غريدا ومستمعا
وواثبand leaping العطرfragrance منfrom حانوتa shop عطارa perfumer
وواثب العطر من حانوت عطار
And the frolicking birds, singing and listening,
And scent leaps from the perfumer's shop
And fragrance leaping from a perfumer's shop,
And the awe of the countryside in vegetation and in stone
ورهبةand awe الريفthe countryside فيin نبتplant life وفيand in حجرstone
ورهبة الريف في نبت وفي حجر
كمعبدlike a temple مستقرstanding firm منذfor أدهارages
كمعبد مستقر منذ أدهار
And the countryside's awe, in plant and stone,
Like a temple settled since time immemorial
Like a temple standing firm for ages.
As if each corner in it is a monastery
كأنماas though كلevery ركنcorner فيهwithin it صومعةa hermitage
كأنما كل ركن فيه صومعة
رفتfluttered أناجيلهاits Gospels ماan emphatic particle بينamong أشجارtrees
رفت أناجيلها ما بين أشجار
As though every corner within it were a hermitage,
Whose gospels flutter between trees
Its Gospels fluttered among trees,
Filled with rays or shaded with freshness
ملءfilling الأشعةthe rays أوor ظلshade لهاof theirs نضرverdant
ملء الأشعة أو ظل لها نضر
وفيand in تبسمthe smiling أنداءdewdrops وأزهارand flowers
وفي تبسم أنداء وأزهار
Filling the rays, or their verdant shade,
And in the smile of echoes and flowers
And in the smiles of dewdrops and flowers,
And in the passion of insects in their finery
وفيand in هوىpassion حشراتinsects منarising from تبرّجهاtheir displayed beauty
وفي هوى حشرات من تبرّجها
كلall المعانيthe meanings لعشّاقfor lovers وسمارand night-time conversationalists
كل المعاني لعشّاق وسمار
And in insects' passion, stirred by the flowers' finery,
All meanings for lovers and sleepless
Are all meanings for lovers and those who converse by night.
And do not distribute the impure and pure
هناhere توحدتbecame one الأديانthe faiths صادقةsincere
هنا توحدت الأديان صادقة
ولمand were not توزعapportioned لأنجاسto the impure وأطهارand the pure
ولم توزع لأنجاس وأطهار
Here the faiths have sincerely become one,
And art struts in melody and poems
And have not been apportioned to the impure and the pure.
And whims of the wicked do not divide them
هناhere المحبةlove كنزa treasure لاno انتهاءend لهto it
هنا المحبة كنز لا انتهاء له
والفنand art يختالstruts فيin لحنa melody وأشعارand poems
والفن يختال في لحن وأشعار
Here love is a treasure without end,
And my seclusion is my glorification and my sacrifice
And art struts in melody and verse.
This beauty, companions on journeys
هناhere الورىcreated beings كلهمall of them إيمانهمtheir faith عممall-embracing
هنا الورى كلهم إيمانهم عمم
ولاand not تفرقهمdivide them أهواءwhims فجارthe wicked
ولا تفرقهم أهواء فجار
Here all beings have an all-embracing faith,
We have embraced guidance, but our Sufism
Nor do the whims of the wicked divide them.
Surpasses Sufism in verses of remembrance
هناhere الحياةlife حياةa life لاno حدودbounds لهاto it
هنا الحياة حياة لا حدود لها
وعزلتيand my solitude هيit تسبيحيmy hymn of praise وإيثاريand my selflessness
وعزلتي هي تسبيحي وإيثاري
Here life is a life without bounds,
The delusions have passed of those who fancied
And my solitude is my hymn of praise and my selflessness.
And claimed medicine kept them privy to secrets
هناhere وددتكI wished for you فيin قربىcloseness تشاركنيyou share with me
هنا وددتك في قربى تشاركني
هذاthis الجمالbeauty زميلينas two companions بأسفارon journeys
هذا الجمال زميلين بأسفار
Here I wished you near, to share with me
For we are its righteous children, all of us
This beauty, as two companions on journeys.
Under its protection, and it did not choose a preferred
قدindeed اعتنقناwe embraced الهدىguidance لكنbut تصوفناour mysticism
قد اعتنقنا الهدى لكن تصوفنا
بزّsurpassed التصوفmysticism فيin آياتverses ذكراremembrance
بزّ التصوف في آيات ذكرا
We have indeed embraced guidance, but our mysticism
And all who came to it are deserving of its bounty
Has surpassed mysticism in verses of remembrance,
And all who visited it are chiefs of monks
وفاتand outstripped أوهامdelusions منthose who هامواwere enraptured ومنand those who زعمواclaimed
وفات أوهام من هاموا ومن زعموا
أنthat الطبيةthe medical one (likely 'nature') خصّتهمsingled them out بأسرارwith secrets
أن الطبية خصّتهم بأسرار
And outstripped the delusions of the enraptured and those who claimed
That nature had favored them alone with secrets.
فنحنfor we أبناؤُهاher children الأبرارrighteous أجمعناall of us
فنحن أبناؤُها الأبرار أجمعنا
لدىwithin حماهاher sanctuary وماand not هامتwas enamored بمختارof a chosen one
لدى حماها وما هامت بمختار
For we are her righteous children, all of us,
Within her sanctuary; she has doted on no chosen one.
وكلand everyone منwho جاءهاcame to her أهلworthy لنعمتهاof her bounty
وكل من جاءها أهل لنعمتها
وكلand everyone منwho زارهاvisited her كعبa Ka'b لأحبارfor scholars
وكل من زارها كعب لأحبار
And everyone who comes to her is worthy of her bounty,
And everyone who visits her is a Ka'b among scholars.
Partial English translation: 26 of 32 Arabic lines translated.